By default, openSUSE KDE opens image files in Gwenview, an excellent image viewer and basic editor. Gimp for more advanced tasks is fine and showFoto is great for RAW files, but for quick resizing of images and cropping, Gwenview is indispensable.
When working on a web article, I find adding images inconvenient and occasionally annoying. There's the issue of size and dimensions of screenshots, product close-ups and comic book/movie screen captures. Kids these days posting to Pinterest, Tumblr and Facebook using their smartphones and tablets have no regard for image dimensions and file size but I remember a time when humble web writers had to choose the optimum size of JPEGs and GIFs before adding them to their HTML (resolution and math was involved). Gwenview works seamlessly with KDE Dolphin Manager and makes on-the-go editing easy.
Note: A reader pointed out that social networking sites automatically resizes uploaded images. Blogger also does the same thing but wouldn't you want to have full control over the resolution, the cropping and file size (which affects your data limits for some services) of your images? I certainly don't want to look like a pixelated Dr.Doom in my pics - without his mask.
Large File Sizes and RAW
Photos taken from smartphones and even from devices such as an iPad or an iPod Touch have higher resolutions and image sizes than ever before. When posting to Blogger, it's inconvenient to have to manually run Gimp or showFoto to crop a Spidey comic panel or macro photo of a new device. With Gwenview, all I need to do is open Dolphin in Preview or List mode, double-click a file and crop, rotate and resize.
My recently purchased Sony NEX-3NL can take both JPEGs and RAW at the same time and since I don't need the large file size and higher resolution of RAW when posting to articles in Unsolicited But Offered, I can easily browse the JPEGs from my Sony ILC and then quickly edit and add to the post.
Interface
Gwenview shares many of the design concepts of native KDE applications. Some of the more useful features I find myself using when searching for images for my post:
1. Browse view - The Browse view provides an easy way to navigate folders and is similar to using Dolphin. Hover over an image and you can get quick options for rotating and running a slideshow. The best part? Gwenview will prompt immediately to save any changes. It's these small things that make utilities worth using.
2. View tab - Like most image viewers, Gwenview provides different views for image folders but Gwenview distinguishes itself by eschewing drop down menus - views can easily be changed from buttons at the bottom of the window. There's a Folder, Information, Image/File Operation sidebar you can access as you work. Fit, 100% and a slider for zooming are all available from the same area.
3. Share - One feature I haven't taken advantage of is the Share button, which provides an exhaustive list of options for exporting to web services and formats like Picasa, HTML, Flash and even Facebook. There's even an Export to iPod... option which I have yet to try out but would be infinitely helpful.
4. Edit - As a web writer, however, the most useful feature I use in Gwenview are the image editor options. Gimp and showFoto will always take longer to load than Gwenview. Gwenview launches automatically from Dolphin and you can click the Edit menu or click the operations tab on the lower-right hand to display image editing options.
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